Telomere therapy for chronic kidney disease

Abstract

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is estimated to affect almost 10% of individuals worldwide and is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Renal fibrosis, a central pathway in CKD progression (irrespective of etiology), is associated with shortened or dysfunctional telomeres in animal studies. Telomeres are specialized nucleoprotein structures located at the chromosome end that maintain genomic integrity. The mechanisms of associations between telomere length and CKD have not yet been fully elucidated, however, CKD patients with shorter telomere length may have decreased renal function and a higher mortality rate. A plethora of ongoing research has focused on possible therapeutic applications of telomeres with the overall goal to preserve telomere length as a therapy to treat CKD.